Pump.



R. B. CARTER.

PUMP.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1. 1913.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 320., WASHINGTON, D. G

2 i i s K i t u p a 1 a L l v PATENT FQE PUMP.

Application filed. April 7, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH B. CARTER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Haworth, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

Qne of the modern forms of water distribution is based upon the use of a pumping mechanism in which differential reciprocating pistons are employed for supplying both water and air to a tank for the purpose of delivering the water under suficient air pressure to its points of utilization.

Some of the prior forms of organizations of this general character are embodied in United States Letters Patent No. 957,304, 1,060,815 and 1,060,816.

The present invention is an improvement on the devices described and claimed therein and has for one of its objects the provision of means of great simplicity of construction and high efficiency of operation, wherein the essential mechanism is combined in a compact structure which can easily be attached to any existing similar system.

A particular object, however, of the present invention is the arrangement of means for controlling at will the proportion of water and air supplied to the distributing tank, inasmuch as it happens that in the usual distribution of water, this proportion is disturbed and it becomes desirable to supply water only, to the tank, in order to restore the proper pro-portion between water and air which is essential in the eflicient and economic operation of a system of this kind.

Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates one form of construction of the invention, part in vertical cross section and part in side elevation; Figs. 2 and 3, are horizontal cross sections, in the lines 22 and 3-3, of Fig. 1, respectively, of some of the essential features of the invention.

The pumping mechanism proper comprises a lower cylinder 1, reaching into a supply of water, such as a well, etc., and an upper cylinder 2. The lower cylinder is provided with the usual foot valve 3. The lower piston 4, having a valve 5, is connected to the upper piston 6, and is of smaller diameter than the upper piston, both forming thereby a pair of differential reciproeating pistons, having all the well known functions and operations of these devices. The cylinder 2 is connected, by means of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May2, 1916. Serial N 0. 759,377.

a duct 7 to an air suction chamber 8, which latter communicates with the atmosphere through a valved air inlet 9. A check valve 10 separates the air suction chamber 8 from the air compression chamber 11. The two chambers are, however, connected by means of a bypass 12, having a valved port 13, leading into the chamber 8 and normally closed by a manually operated valve 14. The chamber 11 is connected through the sup ply pipe 15 with the storage tank 16.

As the drawing indicates, the pumping mechanism, the structure containing the two chambers, and the storage tank, are not necessarily located near each other, but may be as widely separated, as the particular re quirements justify.

In the normal operation of the pumping mechanism, water passes through the foot valve on the upstroke of the lower piston and on the closing of the foot valve during the downstroke of the piston, through its valve to the top of the piston. It is then lifted by the lower piston on its upstroke until it reaches the level of the duct leading to the air suction chamber. This will occur after a few strokes of the pistons. At the same time, on account of the larger area of the upper piston, more fluid is delivered by it, than is supplied to it by the lower piston, and air is consequently drawn into the air suction chamber through the valved air inlet on the upstroke of the pistons, and on the downstroke thereof, air and water are forced through the check valve into the air compression chamber and finally into the tank. WVhen now after a few strokes, the water level reaches the air suction chamber and normally covers the valved air inlet, water from the pumping mechanism and air from the atmosphere will regularly be forced through the check valve into the air compression chamber and, in turn, through the supply pipe into the tank causing and maintaining therein a working pressure necessary for the successful distribution of liquid.

The dimensions of the various cooperating parts are so proportioned that the storage tank is filled to about two thirds of its volume with water and one third with air.

It is a well known fact that the pressure in the tank decreases in the same ratio as the volume of air increases, or in other words, when one half of the water has been drawn off the tank, the volume of air increases to double its size and the pressure, therefore, decreases accordingly. It is obvious that, in order to maintain the reasonable efficiency of a system of water distribution, air pressure of as uniform a degree as possible ought to be maintained in the tank, irrespective of the amount of water drawn off the tank. In order to maintain this uniform pressure, and provide for the proper proportion of air and water the by-pass between the air suction chamber and the air compression chamber is opened, whereby on the upstroke of the pistons of the pumping mechanism, the upper piston, instead of drawing air through the valved air inlet into the air suction chamber, draws a certain amount of the contents of the air compression chamber through the open by-pass into the air suction chamber and on the downstroke of the upper piston, practically water only is forced through the check valve into the air compressing chamber, and, of course, also through the by-pass. The volume of water is thereby increased in the tank, without increasing the volume of air, compressing the air already contained therein and increasing its working pressure. A pressure gage of the usual construction may be arranged to indicate the working pressure in the tank, in addition to a liquid gage, indicating the level of water contained in the tank. After suflicient working pressure has again been obtained in the distributing tank, the bypass is again closed and the pumping mechanism caused to resume its work under normal conditions.

It is understood, of course, that the partial opening of the valved by-pass tends to reduce the amount of air drawn in through the air inlet, without entirely preventing the admission of air and, therefore, to control the proportion of water and air, passing from the air suction chamber to the air compression chamber and, in turn, to the tank.

It should be noted that the valved airinlet is located at the bottom of the air suction chamber and extends upwardly so that its air valve is located above the level of the liquid inlet. This peculiar construction of the air valve prevents the accumulation of foreign matter in the valve seat and eliminates the disadvantages of the elbow pipes heretofore in use. It furthermore permits of having the air valve water-sealed, a feature which is thought to be broadly new in devices of this general character and which successfully prevents the leakage of air through the valve and the consequent reduction of air pressure in the apparatus.

An advantage of the location of the air valve which should not be lost sight of, consists in the provision of a straight-line path for the entering air which is also the straight-line path of the water passing from one chamber into the other. The air entering through the air inlet willnot only not be entrained in the water located below the air inlet, but in its tendency to move to the highest position, will act as an additional means for facilitating the passage of water into the second chamber and the tank.

Claims:

1. The combination with a. chamber having a liquid inlet and a valved air inlet, of a second chamber adapted to receive both liquid and air from said first chamber, and means connected to both chambers adapted to prevent admission of air to said first chamber and to permit delivery of liquid only, from said first chamber to said second chamber.

2. The combination with a chamber having a liquid inlet and a valved air inlet, of a second chamber adapted to receivefboth liquid and air from said first chamber, and a valved by-pass connecting both chambers adapted to prevent admission of air to said first chamber and to permit delivery of liquid only, from said first chamber to said second chamber.

3. The combination with a chamber having a liquid inlet and a valved air inlet, of a second chamber adapted to receive both liquid and air from said first chamber, a bypass connecting said first chamberwith said second chamber, a valve adapted to close said by-pass, means for operating said valve, so that when said valve is open admission of air to said first chamber is prevented and delivery of liquid only, from said first chamber to said second chamber is permitted.

4. The combination with a chamber having a liquid inlet and a valved air inlet, of

a second chamber, a valved port between said chambers for the passage of liquid and air from said first chamber to said second chamber, and means connected to both chambers adapted to prevent admission of air to said first chamber and permit passage of liquid only fro-m said first chamber to said second chamber.

5. The combination with pumping mechanism adapted to deliver liquid, of a chamber adapted to receive liquid from said pumping mechanism and to admit air, a second chamber adapted to receive both liquid and air from said first chamber, and means connected to said chambers adapted to prevent admission of air to said first chamber and to permit delivery of liquid only, from said first to said second chamber.

6. The combination with pumping mechanism having differential pistons, of a tank,

a set of chambers between said pumping mechanism and said tank, one of'said chambers having a liquid inlet and a valved air inlet adapted toreceive liquid from said pumping mechanism and to admit air from the atmosphere, a second chamber, a valved port between said chambers adapted to pas liquid and air from said first to said second chamber and said tank, a by-pass connecting said first chamber with said second chamber, and a valve in said by-pass adapted when open to prevent admission of air to said first chamber and permit passage of liquid only, from said first chamber to said second chamber and said ta 7. The combination with a chamber having a liquid inlet, of a valved air inlet extending inwardly and upwardly from the bottom of said chamber, a second chamber, and a valved port between said chambers adapted to pass liquid and air from said first into said second chamber.

8. The combinationwith a chamber having a liquid inlet, of a valved air inlet extending inwardly and upwardly from the bottom of said chamber, and having its valve located above the level of said liquid inlet, a second chamber, and a valved port between said chambers adapted to pass liquid and air from said first into said second chamber.

9. The combination with pumping mechanism adapted to deliver liquid, of a chamber having a. liquid inlet adapted to pass liquid from said pumping mechanism to said chamber, a valved air inlet extending inwardly and upwardly from the bottom of said chamber and having its valve located above the level of said liquid inlet, a second chambersuperposed upon said first chamber, and a valved port between said chambers adapted to pass liquid and air from said first chamber into said second chamber.

10. The combination with a chamber having a liquid inlet, of a valved air inlet extending inwardly and upwardly from the bottom of said chamber and having its valve located above the level of said liquid inlet, a second chamber superposed upon said first chamber and adapted to receive liquid and air therefrom, and means connected to both chambers and adapted to prevent admission of air to said first chamber and to permit delivery of liquid only, from said first chamber to said second chamber.

11. The combination with a chamber having a liquid inlet, of a valved air inlet extending inwardly and upwardly from the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the said bottom of said chamber and having its valve located above the level of said liquid inlet, a second chamber superposed upon said first chamber and adapted to receive liquid and air therefrom, a bypass connecting said first chamber with said second chamber, a valve adapted to close said by-pass, and means for operating said valve so that when said valve is open, admission of air to said first chamber is prevented and delivery of liquid only, from said first chamber to said second chamber is permitted.

12. The combination with a chamber having a liquid inlet, of a normally liquidsealed valved air inlet, a second chamber, and a valved port between said chambers adapted to pass liquid and air from said first chamber into said second chamber.

13. The combination with a chamber having a liquid inlet, of a valved air inlet having its valve located above said liquid inlet and normally below the level of the liquid contained in said chamber, a second chamber, and a valved port between said chambers adapted to pass liquid and air from first chamber into said second chamber.

14. The combination with a chamber having a liquid inlet, of a normally liquidsealed valved air inlet, a second chamber adapted to receive both liquid and air from said first chamber, and means connected to said chambers and adapted to prevent admission of air to said first chamber and permit delivery of liquid only, from said first to said second chamber.

15. The combination with a chamber having a liquid inlet and a valved air inlet, of a second chamber, a valved port connecting said chambers, a bypass between said chambers, and a valve in said by-pass adapted to control the proportion of liquid and air passing from said first chamber into said second chamber.

In witness whereof the inventor has hereunto set his hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, at New York, in the county and State of New York, this 31st day of March, 1913.

RALPH B. CARTER.

In presence of RALPH JULIAN SAOI-IERS,

M. 'F. KANE.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

